Method and device for superposing of fibre-fleeces



June 9,1959 w. WACKER ETAL I 2,

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPERPOSING OF FIBRE-FLEECES Filed Dec. 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor's;

'YLJAcKER FRANZ (Pu/LL01; g g? Gusmv ADo -F HEMPEL.

June 9, 1959 w. WACKER ET AL 2,889,583

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPERPOSING OF FIBRE-FLEECES Filed Dec. 50, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor's.

WILHELM WALKER) FRANZ Gamma-1; AND GUSTAV ADoLF' HEMPE).

June 9, 1959 W. WACKER ET AL METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPERPOSING OF EIBRE-FLEECES 3' Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

Invenars:

AND usrAv Ado: HEMPEA lVIETHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPERPOSING F FlBRE-FLE-ECES Wilhelm Wacker, Wollendort', and Franz Guillot and Gustav Adolf l-Iempel, Aachen, Germany, assignors to Lohmann K.-G;, Fahr (Rhine), Germany Application December 30, 1953, Serial No. 401,332 Claims priority, application Germany June 3, 1952 Claims; (Cl. 19-161) For the production of multiple fibre-fleeces of natural or artificial fibres it is known to wind up single carding fleeces on bobbin-cylinders and to unwind them again, whereby any number of fleeces may be superposed. To increase the transversalresistance of such fleeces diflerent devices are known for transversal superposing. These are composed of tables with cross-laying arms, wherein also conveyor belts may be used.

With all these devices the single carding fleeces are superposed in such a way that either the angular folded fleeces at their turning edges or the edges of the single fleece sections partly overlap. Dependent on that the thickness of the fleece becomes irregular, which is disturbing and therefore undesired. The thickened parts, for instance, prove more absorbent when being impregnated and when passing through couch-rolls they receive irregular pressure, whereby the elasticity of the multiple fleece becomes irregular too.

Therefore the invention relates to a method for superposing of fibre fleeCes'in which conveyor belts are used in such a way that the delivery of the breadth of fleece is performed by means'of a feed-conveyor belt which rotates horizontally and can be moved in the direction of its progress. By corresponding movements the said feedconveyor belt delivers" one section of a breadth after another transverse to the main direction of conveyance to aguiding-belt arranged below. From'this guiding-belt the single sections are again delivered to a breadth of fleece that continuously passesby below and on which they are arranged contiguously.

The arrangement'of contiguous fleece sections is performed transverse tothe main direction of conveyance and the sections are superposed on a continuously running breadth of fleece by means of oscillating movements of the reedandguiding-belt carriages on which the belts provided thereon move during. a part of the movement of the carriages.

To accomplish this method according to the invention devices of diflierentkind may be used, wherein the systems of drive and control of the cooperating conveyorbelts are essential.

An example of a device for the accomplishment of the method according to the invention is schematically shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the means of conveyance according to the invention, whilst Figs. 2-8 illustrate the movements of conveyance of the fibre-fleece, respectively of one fleece section.

Fig. 9 explains schematically a central control tor the means of conveyance for the fleeces.

Fig. lO shows a special arrangement of a cutting-off device in opened and Fig. 11 in closed position.

The 'sequenceof the phases of movement can be seen in Figs. 2-8, wherein the fibre-fleeces are signified by dotted areas whilst the conveyor-belts or the like show the same reference numbers as Fig. 1. The continuously nited States atent O conveyed fleece is designated V, the cut-'oifsections are marked F.

The fleece which has to be superposed in sections is,

continuously taken from a bobbin cylinder 10, respec-' tively a carding machine, and delivered tothe endless conveyorbelt 11 of the conveyor belt unit I which at the beginning of the operation is to be found in' the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6'. In the. following the conveyor belt. unit I will be called feed-conveyor belt'unit; The

endless conveyor belt 11 of the feed-conveyor belt unit I is at first stationary and during the'delive-ry of the fibre fleece V onto the belt 11 thev unit I is laterally displaced in the direction of arrow X, and by means of the travel-' ling rollers 12 it is gradually guided on the track'13 above" the guiding-belt unit II. On the conveyor belt unit I are" cylinders 1417 are mounted on the unit I for movement therewith in the directions of the arrows x and y, respectively, and the cylinders are adapted to rotate. about their own axis for the purpose as will be described'later on.

The fleece V taken from the cylinder 10 is passed between the pains of clamping cylinders 14-17.

The feed-conveyor belt unit I moves into its end posinon-18 (shown in dash-dotted lines this end position 18 is reached, the direction orv movement of the feed-conveyor belt unit I is reversed, it moves back in the direction of arrow Y, and during this back movement of the unit I whereby the rotating movement of the endless conveyor belt 11 is provoked by any known means, not forming part of the present invention. The conveyor belt 11 is thereby moved with such a speedand in a direction that the upper strand of the belt moves the fibre-fleece V supported thereon in the direction of the arrow at with the same speed and in the same direction as during the movement of the unit I in the direction of the arrow x, whereby that part of the breadth of fleece which has passed between the clamping cylinders 14-17 is superposed on the endless conveyor belt 19 of the guiding-belt unit II, whose direction of movement is normal to that of the feed-conveyor belt unit I. The whole guiding-belt unit II is arranged on travelling rollers 20 in such a way that it can be laterally displaced on thetrack 21. As soon as the feed-conveyor belt unit I has reached itsstarting position shown in Fig. 1, that part of the breadth of fleece V which has been superposedon the conveyor belt 19 of the guiding-belt unit II is cut off by means of the clamping cylinders 14-17, and the feed conveyor belt unit I anew begins its explained movement in the direction of arrow X (Fig. 6). During the movement of the belt conveyor unit I towards the left, as viewed in Fig. l, in the direction of the arrows y, the pairs of clamping cylinders 14, 15 and 16, 17 are preferably rotated towards each other to help placing the fleece taken up from the cylinder 10 onto thebelt of the second belt conveyor unit ll. When the unit I reaches its starting position as shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, the fleece taken from the cylinder 10 is cut off as mentioned above in a well known manner by means of the clamping cylinders 1417. This cut off is performed by clamping'the pair of upper clamping cylinders 14 and 15 tightly against the fleece to hold the same stationary, whereas the pair of lower clamping cylinders 16 and 17 are rotated with fast speed towards each other, so that the fleece is cut or torn off along a substantial straight line between the two pairs of clamping cylinders. The drive of these clamping cylinders and the control of the movementthereof may be performed in any well known. manner, not forming part of the present invention. The cylinders may be Figs. 1-5); After driven individually by small electrical motors and the clamping movement controlled by solenoids and the motors and solenoids in turn be controlled by proper switches arranged along the track as well known in the art.

The cut 011 fleece section F placed on the top run of the belt 19 of the belt conveyor 'unit II in the manner as described above is then transferred onto the fleece located on thetop run of the endless belt 22 of the conveyor belt unit III located below the unit II as shown in Fig. l. The belt 22 of the conveyor unit III is located at right angles to the path of reciprocation of the unit I and this belt is slowly driven in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2. To transfer the cut-off fleece section F from the top run of the belt 19 of the conveyor unit II onto the fleece located on the top run of the conveyor belt of the feed unit 111, the conveyor belt unit II is moved by means of the rollers 24 on the track 23 at relatively great speed in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 22 of the unit 111. During this movement of the conveyor belt unit II the rollers on which the belt 19 is mounted are rotated in such a way that the top run of the belt moves in the direction of progress of the conveyor belt 22 of the unit III. In this way the cut 011 fleece section F is transferred from the top run of the belt 19 of the conveyor unit 11 to the fleece located on the top run of the conveyor belt 22 of the unit III, while this latter fleece is continuously and slowly moved in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor unit II.

After its delivery movement the guiding-belt unit II moves back on the track 23 in its starting position and is simultaneously displaced on the track 21 in the direction of arrow Z by means of the travelling rollers 20. It is mentioned that the movement of the unit 11 in the direction of the arrow Z is not absolutely necessary for the proper working of the machine and the track 21 and rollers 20 of the unit II and the reciprocation of the unit II in the directions of the arrows Z and U, respectively, may also be omitted. However, it will be evident that if the unit 11 is moved in the direction of the arrow Z while the unit I is moved in the direction of the arrow X, the superposition of the two units I and II may be performed much faster so that the transfer of the fleece V from the belt 11 of the unit I onto the belt 19 of the unit II can start sooner than in a machine in which the unit II would not be reciprocated in a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the unit I.

Meanwhile the feed-conveyor belt carriage I has reached again its position 18 as shown in Fig. 1 and delivers another section of the breadth of fleece V to the conveyor belt 19 of the guiding-belt unit II which is in its end position beneath unit I as shown in Fig. 5. Now the guiding-belt unit II moves in the direction of arrow U until it is superimposed over unit III, so that the conveyor-units I and II move contrary to each other, whereby the endless belt 19 of the guiding-belt unit II is stationary, whilst the endless belt 11 of the feedconveyor belt unit I is circulating. As soon as the width of the endless cloth 19 is covered with fleece V another section F is cut off by means of the clamping cylinders 14-17, after which this section is superposed on the conveyor belt 22 of the conveyor-belt unit III in the explained way (Figs. 6, 7, 8).

Due to the corresponding speed of the conveyor-belts 11, 19 and 22 a contiguous arrangement of the single sections of the fleece is guaranteed. In the arrangement according to the invention theconveyor-belt 22 is driven continuously so that the delivery of upperand lowerfleeces may be performed. This makes it possible to put the single sections of the fleece, which are delivered in transversal direction, between two breadths of fleeces running in longitudinal direction.

To make it possible to work up very thin breadths of fleeces preferably the conveyor-belts 11, 19 and 22 4 are provided with devices which guarantee a safe de livery of the single sections of the fleece. For this purpose especially pressure cylinders are suitable and the guiding-belt may be arranged with a slight declination to the feed-conveyor belt.

For the cutting-off of the single sections of the fleece known devices may be used as well. Especially suitable, however, is the cutting-01f device shown in Figs. 10 and 11, which is arranged at the end of the feed-conveyor belt I similar to the cylinders 14, 15, 16, 17. The said device is provided with two cylinders 30 and 31, of which at least one has to be driven, and with an abutment 32 and a counter-pressure bar 33. During the delivery of the fleece the elements of the cutting-off device are separated two by two so that the breadth of fleece V does not touch them anywhere, but is able to pass unhindered (Fig. 10). At the very moment of separation the counter-pressure bar 33 is pressed against the abutment 32'and the cylinder 31 against the cylinder 30, so that the section of the fleece is cut oil instantly (Fig. ll). Since the cutting-off device is closed only for a moment, the continuously running fleece does not bulge. To avoid disturbing eddies of air it proves useful to increase the speed of rotation of the driven cylinder 31 to the necessary cut-oft speed only immediately before it is touching the fleece.

Especially suitable for the device according to the invention are sprocket chain drives, wherein the chains can be blocked periodically in order to separate the single phases of conveyance. So stopping periods are attained which are adapted by suitable means as well to the length of the single sections of the fleece as to the working speed. For said control known technical means may be used. Especially suitable are reciprocating or oscillating systems which are electrically and mechanically controlled.

Fig. 9 shows schematically moving means for the device according to the invention shown in Fig. l. The moving means consists of three cam discs 40, 50, 60 which are fixed to the shaft 35 for movement therewith. The three eccentrically revolving cam discs 40, 50, 60 are provided with cam grooves (not shown in the drawing') in which follower pins 41, 51, 61 are guided to derive the movements for the carriage 42, 52, 62 which carry the conveyor-belts I and II. When the cam discs are in rotation the pins 41, 51, 61 are reciprocated radially to the shaft 35. By means of the disc 40 via the push and tension rods 43, 44 and the double armed lever 45, fixed at a pivot 46 and articulated to said rods, the carriage 42 receives an oscillating movement in the direction of the arrows X, Y. In the same way the carriage 52 is articulated to the pin 51 by means of the push and tension rods 53, 54 and the double armed lever 55 connected with the said rods and fixed at a pivot 56. The movement of the carriage 62 is transmitted by the push rod 63 provided with the sliding guide 64.

The dashed lines in Fig. 9 show the opposite end positions of the said levers, which are reached after half a revolution of the shaft 35. In this opposite end position the feed-conveyor belt I is above the now stationary guiding-belt II as already explained in connection with Fig. l.

The two carriages 42 and 62 always move in opposite directions and thereby compensate the intervals of stopping and cutting-off.

The advantage attained by the device according to the invention is the possibility of producing a multiple fibrefleece which shows a complete regular thickness and in which the fibres of the single carding fleeces are exactly cross like superposed. This exact cross like superposi tion guarantees an equal tensile strength in all directions. These advantages are due to the contiguous arrangement of the single sections of the carding fleece. The regular thickness is attained by the mastering of the movements of conveyance with suitable controlling means, which make it possible to arrange the transverse delivered sections of the fleece contiguously.

Another advantage is the possibility of a very high working speed, which allows to take the fibre fleece V directly from a carding machine.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A method of making a multi-layer cross-laid fibrous web comprising the steps of continuously drawing a first fibrous web in a first direction; laying said web on a first supporting surface while said supporting surface moves in said first direction; transferring said web from said first supporting surface across a second supporting surface located below said first supporting surface while withdrawing said first supporting surface in a direction opposite to said first direction; cutting the portion of said web laid across said second supporting surface from said web; and transferring said cut-off web portion onto a second fibrous web continuously moving in a plane located below said second supporting surface and in a second direction inclined to said first direction while moving said second supporting surface in a direction opposite to said second direction with such a speed that the cut-ofi portions of said first web will be superimposed on said second web adjacent each other and with their longitudinal edges in abutting relationship.

2. A method of making a multi-layer cross-laid fibrous web comprising the steps of continuously drawing a first fibrous web in a first direction; laying said web on a first supporting surface while said supporting surface moves in said first direction; transferring said web from said first supporting surface across a second supporting surface located below said first supporting surface while Withdrawing said first supporting surface in a direction opposite to said first direction; cutting the portion of said web laid across said second supporting surface from said web; and transferring said cut-off web portion onto a second fibrous web continuously moving in a plane located below said second supporting surface and in a second direction normal to said first direction while moving said second supporting surface in a direction opposite to said second direction with such a speed that the cut-oflf portions of said first web will be superimposed on said second web adjacent each other and with their longitudinal edges in abutting relationship.

3. A device for making a multi-layer fibrous web comprising, in combination, a support; means for continuously conveying a first web at substantially uniform speed in direction of its length; first support means for supporting said web in a first plane and being mounted on said support for reciprocating motion in said direction; second support means for supporting said web in a second plane below said first plane and being mounted on said support for reciprocating movement in a second direction inclined to said first direction, said second support means having an edge substantially parallel to said second direction, said first support means receiving a portion of said web as it is moved in one direction and transferring said portion of said web across said second support means during the movement of said first support means in a direction opposite to said one direction; cutting means for cutting said first web along said edge of said second support means; and means for continuously conveying a second web at substantially uniform speed in a plane below said second plane and in direction of its length along said second direction, and said second support means transferring the cut portions of said first web onto said second web in abutting relationship during the movement of said second support means in a direction opposite to said direction in which said second web is continuously fed.

4. A device for making a multi-layer fibrous web comprising, in combination, a support; means for continuously conveying a first web at substantially uniform speed in direction of its length; first support means for supporting said web in a first plane and being mounted on said support for reciprocating motion in said direction; second support means for supporting said web in a second plane below said first plane and being mounted on said support for reciprocating movement in a second direction normal to said first direction, said second support means having an edge substantially parallel to said second direction, said first support means receiving a portion of said web as it is moved in one direction and transferring said portion of said web across said second support means during the movement of said first support means in a direction opposite to said one direction; cutting means for cutting said first web along said edge of said second support means; and means for continuously conveying a second web at substantially uniform speed in a plane below said second plane and in direction of its length along said second direction, and said second support means transferring the cut portions of said first web onto said second web in abutting relationship during the movement of said second support means in a direction opposite to said direction in which said second web is continuously fed.

5. A device for making a multi-layer fibrous web comprising, in combination, a support; means for continuously conveying a first web at substantially uniform speed in direction of its length; a first conveyor belt unit mounted on said support for reciprocating motion in said direction and including an endless conveyor belt for receiving and supporting said first web as it is continuously conveyed from said means; a second conveyor belt unit mounted on said support for reciprocating motion in a second direction normal to said direction in which said first web is fed and including an endless belt located below said belt of said first conveyor belt unit; transfer and cutting means on said first conveyor belt unit for transferring the first web from the conveyor belt of the first conveyor belt means across the conveyor belt of the second conveyor belt unit and for cutting said first web into portions having a length equal to the width of the conveyor belt of the second conveyor belt unit; means for supporting and continuously conveying a second web at substantially uniform speed in direction of its length along said second direction and in a plane below said second conveyor belt unit; first moving means for alternately moving said first conveyor unit in the direction in which said first web is conveyed without moving the endless belt conveyor thereof relative to said unit and in a direction opposite to said direction in which said first web is conveyed while moving the conveyor belt thereof in the direction in which said first web is conveyed; and second moving, means fore moving said second conveyor belt unit in a direction opposite to the direction in which said second web is fed while moving the conveyor belt thereof in said direction in which said second .belt is fed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 33,426 Butler Oct. 8, 1861 65,456 Waite June 4, 1867 2,434,887 Repass et a1 Jan. 20, 1948 2,710,992 Goldman June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 925,338 Germany Mar. 17, 1955 

